Mailing-box.



w. EDRAKE.

MAILING BOX.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2. 1911.

Patented Sept. 1918.

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UNITED STATES PATENT WILLIAM E. DRAKE, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN.

MAILING-BOX.

Applicationfiled'lfune 2, 1917. Serial No. 172*,358.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM E. I)RAKE, a citizen of the United States, and residing at Detroit in the-county of Wayne and State'of ichigan, have inventedQnew and Improved Mailing-Boxes, of which the following is a specification. I

The present invention relates to a box for use in mailing cabinets, the object being to provide a device which lends itselfreadily to commercial processes of manufacture and which is-readilyadjustableto correspond to letters or other pieces of mail of different lengths. It consists in a box having slotted sides, together with a shiftable end wall having end portions provided with tongues or clips projecting-through said slots whereby said end portions are prevented from be ing bentinwardly;in a" shiftable end an corrugated to afford greater stiffness; inanend Wall perforated to allow the insertion of a tool whereby it may be quickly adjusted; in a double box of this character wherein the edges of the dividing wall are received in longitudinal grooves pressed in the side walls; and in certain other details of construction shown, described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view showing a preferred embodiment of the invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal section, and Fig. 3 1s a transverse section corresponding thereto. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the shiftable end walls before the ton es are bent back upon the side walls. ig. 5 is a fragmentary section on the line 5-5 of Fig. 2. I

The main outside wall 1 of the box is preferably formed from a single sheet of metal bent to constitute a tube substantially rectangular in cross section, the edges being joined 'by a. seam 2 at the top. The side faces 3 preferably have pressed outwardly therefrom ribs 4 in the grooved inner surfaces of which the edges of the sheet metal dividing plate 5 are received. If desired, the plate may be spot-welded or soldered to the rib. Thus there is formed in the single box both an upper and a lower compartment.

The side walls 3 are each provided with central longitudinal slots 8, the front ends of which are extended at top and bottom as indicated at 9. Slidable in each of the compartments is a sheet metal end wall or piece 12, which is preferably corrugated longitu- Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Sept. 17, 1918.

dinally for stiffening purposes and provided with slots 10 enlarged at one end at '11 to allow the ready admission or withdrawal of a suitable tool whereby the wallgma be shifted along thefbox to correspond to the length of envelope being used; At its'ends the end wall is bent at substantially right angles (preferably slightly flaring to "cause considerable friction against theside walls of the-box) to form wings 12' from the central portion of the outer ends of which project tongues or clips having necks13 (of less depth than the width of the slots 10) and heads 14:. Before the ends are inserted in the box, the heads are bent over parallel to the necks, as best shown in. Fig. 5; then, as they pass into registration with the enlarged portion 9 of the slots 8, they snap outwardly andthereafter prevent the wings from bending inwardly when the end wall is tag holder 20 is connected to the forward end of the upper wall of the box by ears 21 and 22 and hinge pins 23. Preferably the wall and the tag holder are centrally cut away at 25 and 26. The outer edges 28 of the tag holder preferably are bent rearwardly to embrace the side walls and thereby prevent the holder from becoming jammed in the box, and a portion of one of said edges may be bent outwardly at 29 to afford a finger grip for swinging the tag upwardly out of the way. Loops or bends 30 and 31 at top and bottom retain the tag.

The front end of the dividing plate and the front end of the lower wall of the lower compartment are notched at 35 and 36.

In use, a number of the boxes are stacked up in a suitable cabinet in such manner that their front ends are accessible. The end walls are adjusted to correspond to the length of the letters and the latter are insorted into the proper compartment until such time as all those intended for a given destination may be taken out and forwarded under a single cover. The device may also be used to retain blank envelope which are withdrawn as required. The notches 25- 2635-36 aiford' easy access of the fingers to the envelope.

The details of construction may be varied somewhat without departing from the spirit of the inveritiohf' I I'do not, Itlierefdreflvfsh to be limited except as indicated by the subjoined claims.

I claim 1. A mailing box comprising a longitudinally adjustable end wall {having a slot therein into which a suitable tool may be inserted for shifting the wall.

2. A mailing box of substantially rectangular transverse cross section, said box having longitudinal, slots in its"; opposite sides, said-box including a longitudinally adjustable end wall having ings arranged to projejct througl-iv slots ,A mailing box of substantially rectangular transverse cross section,v said box havinglongitudinal slots in its opposite sides, the slots having enlarged portions near their front ends, said box including a longitudi- 1': ally adjustable end wall having wings with prcgectiens which extend through the slots, sai projections having heads of greater cross section than the main portions of the slotswherebythe Wings are prevented from collapsing.

4.; A mailing box of substantially rectangular cross-section having a tag holder givold tq'the frontfed eof the 'top of the 'ox to swing about aiorizontal axis, the front portion of the top being centrally cut away adjacent to the plvotal axis of the tag holder to allow access to envelops or letters which may be in the box.

5. A mailing box of substantially rectangular cross-section having a tag holder pivoted to the front edge of the top of the box to swing about a horizontal axis, the tag holder being centrally cut away adjacent its pivotal axis to allow access toenve'liops or letters which may be in the box.

,6. A mailing box of substantially rectangular cross-section having, a tag holder pivoted to the frontedge of the top of the box to swing about a horizontal axis, the edges oi the tagholder extending beyond the sides of the box to'embrace the latter when the holder is in normal position.

7. A. mailing box of substantially rectangular cross-section having atag holder pivoted to the front edge of the top of the box to swing about a horizontal axis, one of the side edges of the tag holder being bent outwardly to form a finger grip WILLIAM E. DRAKE.

Goblet clllflrfs patent may be obtained tciflyejents egmh,v by nddmulng the "Goinmlnlonju or 12mm fipshmgton, 13. G. 

